Arts and Crafts was a major design style of the early 20th century, from
1910-1930 in particular. Over a century ago, during this time, appliances
weren't commonplace items in the home, and items like televisions and
dishwashers wouldn't be invented for decades. Additionally, the Arts and Crafts
style was known for rejecting factory-created furnishings and instead embracing
a simpler, hand-crafted aesthetic.

So, how then, is one to meld today's
modern appliances and conveniences with the simplistic and elegant style that is
Arts and Crafts? Though you probably don't want to give up your flat-screen,
stove, or refrigerator, knowing how to work these items into the landscape will
help to beautifully incorporate them into the Arts and Crafts style. Here you'll
find a few ways to add modern-day conveniences into an Arts and Crafts home
design.

Mix and Match:A mix and match design is perfect for cementing
your modern appliances into a Craftsman style home. Combine vintage artifacts of
the time with more modern pieces. In an Arts and Crafts kitchen, for example,
this may mean that you are mixing modern appliances and items like stainless
steel canisters with vintage pieces like antique vases, heirloom cast iron pans,
and a period appropriate clock.

When mixing and matching you'll get the
newer pieces to blend as opposed to having them stick out because it allows you
to get the flavor of the style while keeping the look modern. Since mixing and
matching can be done in many different combinations, it's an affordable way to
create a blended style that doesn't require you to replace large
appliances.

Cover and Conceal:Covering or concealing your modern day
items when you aren't using them is another good way to blend them into the Arts
and Crafts aesthetic. Thanks to good home design, electronics in particular,
like computers, game systems, or televisions are often easily
concealed.

Cabinets are great for concealing these items when they aren't
in use, though in the era of flat-screens may not be practical. Cabinet doors or
wood panels can easily be installed on either side of your television, however,
so that the concealed TV simply looks like part of a built-in wall
cabinet.

Hide in Plain Sight:Paring your modern appliances with
period surroundings is another great way for you to work them into your design.
Topping a vintage 1920s Arts and Crafts console table with your computer is a
great way to highlight the style while creating visual contrast with your modern
objects.

You can mount a television over an impressive river rock
fireplace in order to replace the viewer's focus on the modern object by instead
placing emphasis on a statement piece that can express the Arts and Crafts
style.